Discover my net carbs keto tips.

What is the difference between carbs and net carbs?

The key difference between total carbs and net carbs is that total carbs include all the different types of carb in a food or meal. These include starches, dietary fiber, and sugars. Net carbs, on the other hand, only include carbs that the body can fully digest into glucose.

Do you measure net carbs on keto?

The exact number of grams (g) of carbohydrates will be different for everyone, but is generally around 20 to 50 g per day. Many people on a keto diet count “net carbs,” which is total carbs minus fiber. Fiber isn't “counted” in the carbohydrate total, because it's not digested.

Should you calculate net carbs or total carbs?

We recommend counting total carbohydrates, with the most of your food coming from real, whole foods. With some exceptions, unprocessed non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seeds contain a relatively small (<25%) of their total carbs as soluble fiber.

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body can't digest, so you should subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate. On Nutrition Facts food labels, the grams of dietary fiber are already included in the total carbohydrate count.

Can too much fiber kick you out of ketosis?

Fiber is a carbohydrate that your body can't digest, so it doesn't count toward the amount of carbs that can trigger an insulin response, which too much of can prevent your body from going into that ketosis state.

When counting net carbs, usually sticking below 25 grams per day will be effective in achieving nutritional ketosis. If you're counting total carbs, keeping your total to around 50 grams or less will be a good place to start.

Is 50g of carbs too much for ketosis?

You may achieve great results within this carb range, as long as you eat unprocessed, real foods. But if you want to get into ketosis — which is essential for a ketogenic diet — then this level of intake may be excessive. Most people will need to go under 50 grams per day to reach ketosis.

Is 30 grams of carbs still Keto?

Some people may need to limit themselves to no more than 30 grams of total carbohydrates per day to remain in nutritional ketosis and maintain its benefits; while others may be able to consume more.

In calculating net carbs, most manufacturers take the total number of carbohydrates a product contains and subtract fiber and sugar alcohols because these types of carbohydrates are thought to have a minimal impact on blood sugar levels.

Finding Your Daily Carb Limit on a Keto Diet

The fact is, the amount of carbs you can tolerate and stay in ketosis depends on your particular body, how long you’ve been living keto, your exercise regime, and more. So, when you’re first starting a keto diet, it’s recommended to stick with 20 grams of net carbs per day or 20 grams of total carbs for therapeutic purposes.  While 20 grams of total carbs is the amount that can get pretty much everyone into ketosis provided you eat within your daily macros, 20 grams of net carbs is the starting point for most people trying to achieve weight loss or general health benefits.  To learn more about the difference between total carbs and net carbs, see below or read more here.

To ensure your body completely acclimates to the keto lifestyle, it’s recommended that you stick to 20 grams of net carbs per day for a full three months before you set out to explore your own personal carb edge.